Chapter 448: There’s Nothing Left to Fear
Sang Zhe and Si Jingzhu’s figures vanished after the dream.
Several faceless shadows lingered in place.
“Ha. Haha.”
Ancestral Cang suddenly laughed without warning.
“Interesting. Truly amusing.”
He murmured to himself, “It seems like I haven’t heard anyone talk tough to me in many years.”
“Yeah, looks like even you, Ancestral Cang, have your day,” Xu Yao teased from the side.
“It’s not just me. You all haven’t heard anything like this in ages, right?”
“How long has it been…” Old Woman Xi squinted and slowly said, “Maybe around two or three billion years? I can’t even remember what happened to the last person who talked tough to me.”
“I remember.”
The alluring woman giggled, “He was a man who kept clinging to me even after I toyed with him. I sent him to hell, fried him for over a thousand years.”
“What? Planning to do the same to this kid?”
“Believe it or not, after hearing what he just said, I’m not angry but actually think he’s a bit charming.”
She licked her lips, “I wonder what it’s like to toy with a man like that?”
Xu Yao stroked his beard, “Looks like this little prison has birthed some interesting people.”
“When those descended, things weren’t so boring after all.”
Ancestral Cang pinched his chin and suddenly said, “Long Huan, what do you think?”
Beside him, the burly and remarkably strong man spoke in a deep voice, “That kid carries a scent I’m familiar with.”
“I’m pretty interested in him.”
“Is that so?” Ancestral Cang appeared to grin as well.
“I’m increasingly looking forward to… the day the seal is lifted.”
Meanwhile, while the few chatted casually.
The shadow that had been hiding far away remained silent, its gaze fixated on the spot where Sang Zhe had departed.
After a long moment, a strange yet playful voice emerged from it.
“…Found you.”
——
——
When Si Jingzhu slowly opened her eyes,
she found herself in a strange inn room with an unfamiliar ceiling.
But at the bedside was a familiar figure.
“Sang… Zhe?”
“Awake?”
Sang Zhe poured a freshly brewed cup of tea and handed it to her. “Good luck. We’ve only slept for three days this time.”
“If we had slept any longer, Little Ying and the others might’ve been scared over.”
“Um… what happened?”
Si Jingzhu groggily sat up and took a sip of the warm tea.
“It’s a bit complicated. I haven’t figured it out myself yet. I’ll explain everything once I do.”
“But strictly speaking, it’s my fault,” Sang Zhe’s gaze fell slightly, and he whispered, “…Sorry.”
“I should’ve realized you might be discovered in your transformed state.”
Si Jingzhu bit her lip.
The memories from those dreams were already a bit hazy for her.
But she still remembered.
In that nightmare-like dream, Sang Zhe tightly held her hand and led her away from the monsters.
The cold and cruel nightmare still made her shiver even after waking up.
But when Sang Zhe gently pulled her into his embrace,
that warm comfort that made her eyes misty still reassured her immensely.
“Sang Zhe…” she suddenly clutched him tightly.
“I-I’m so scared…”
“Don’t be afraid. It’s all over now.”
This time, Sang Zhe didn’t tease her but softly comforted instead.
“You’re still a bit disoriented. Let’s head home first.”
Si Jingzhu timidly nodded.
After that scare, she had no desire to continue playing.
——
——
Once they returned home, Sang Zhe entrusted Si Jingzhu to Yan Rouwan and Shi Qingyan’s care.
He then dove into the room to research how to shield against Dream Realm Dust with Nian Nian.
“Breaking the Dream Realm Dust from a magical standpoint is tricky.”
Nian Nian browsed through the system shop, explaining, “Even outside, Dream Realm Dust belongs to a more advanced magic; there aren’t many good countermeasures.”
“However, if the goal is simply to prevent Si Jingzhu from being discovered by Dream Realm Dust, there are physical methods.”
“This,” Nian Nian took out a pill and said softly, “Dream Stopping Pill. A kind of basic spirit calming pill that helps with insomnia and vivid dreaming. It can make one unable to dream, improving sleep quality.”
“Using the Dream Stopping Pill will ensure Si Jingzhu can’t dream while sleeping, so she won’t be found by Dream Realm Dust.”
Sang Zhe took the Dream Stopping Pill and examined it closely.
“…This will do. No side effects, right?”
“None officially, but being unable to dream itself can be considered a side effect. After all, sometimes, dreaming can be quite a happy moment.”
“Right now, I can’t care less about dreaming.” Sang Zhe shook his head, “I need to stay away from those guys first.”
So he immediately exchanged for dozens of bottles, enough for Si Jingzhu for almost a year.
“However, this thing treats symptoms, not the root cause.”
Nian Nian crossed her legs and sat beside Sang Zhe. “If those guys truly descend, what’s the host’s plan?”
“Let’s gather the Earth Store Immortal Treasures first.”
Sang Zhe sighed, “Currently, I know nothing about them, and even if I want to formulate a plan, I’ve got to understand the basics first.”
“And you specifically mentioned that this basic information can only be completely unlocked after gathering the Earth Store Immortal Treasures, so besides collecting them, there’s nothing else to consider.”
Nian Nian shot him a sidelong glance.
Sang Zhe’s face bore no signs of anxiety or worry, appearing entirely calm.
“…Heh, that’s quite a healthy mindset.”
Nian Nian chuckled. “With the host’s current collection progress of the Earth Store Immortal Treasures, this system can offer some information.”
“That batch of Primordial Deities has existed since the inception of this world. There are eight in total, but now only seven remain.”
“Among these seven, the most powerful is God King Ancestral Cang.”
“How strong?” Sang Zhe asked.
“Well… at the level of a final boss.”
“That kind of ultimate demon king who could easily destroy an entire world with a snap of the fingers,” Nian Nian pushed her glasses up.
Such an easy-to-understand explanation.
“So I’ve messed with someone quite remarkable?”
“Now you’re starting to feel regret? Isn’t it a bit late?” Nian Nian teased as she looked at him.
“Of course not.”
Sang Zhe laughed and shook his head.
“To me, the gap between Primordial Deities and the Ascending Realm is just like the gap between the Crossing Tribulation Stage and the Foundation Establishment Stage. To them, I’m just an ant that can be easily squished.”
“When I was in the Foundation Establishment Stage, I started messing around with those big cultivators in the Crossing Tribulation Stage.”
“Now, they’re just a bunch of Primordial Deities.”
“What’s there to fear?” He broke into quiet laughter.
